One Last Dance
by Ladies Limwen and Aranel
Summary: One stormy night when Legolas is away, Thranduil is alone thinking about the past. His mind wonders to his wife and to the last time they danced... There is a slight tissue warning.
1. Chapter 1

hello ya'll! i hope ya'll are having a fantastic day! This is my birthday present to all you wonderful people out there reading! (because like hobbits give birthday gifts on their birthdays. I thought it wound be cool to do the same lol) i also want to wish my twin (Aranel) a happy birthday because, well we are twins lol :) this story is inspired by the song "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. it is a beautiful song and maybe ya'll might want to listen to it while you are reading :) In this fanfict i gave Thranduil's wife a name. i call her Ladis because it means 'leaf bride' and i thought it was kinda cool and she is kinda is like Thanduil's leaf bride. anyway i really love to think and talk about what she my have been like. so if ya'll what to PM me i love to talk. please review and let me know what you think! there is a tissue warning! this one does get a lil sad! but enough of my ramblings. on with the story! hope you enjoy! :)

Elvish:

Melin tirië hendutya sílalë yá lalat = I love to see your eyes shine when you laugh

Guren níniatha n'i lû n'i a-govenitham = My heart shall weep until I see you again

 _meleth-nín =_ my love

 _le melin =_ I love you

One Last Dance

As the sky darkened with the promise of a rainy dusk, so too did the tall stone halls of the Mirkwood palace darken. Thranduil sat lonesome on his throne. Everyone had left the hall, and all was quiet as the soft sound of the falling rain reached his pointed ears. He sat in thought, thinking of the long gone past, of joyful times and the sad. As his mind wondered though the paths of the past, he found himself in his chambers, _many years ago…_

It was like a dream, he could almost feel the light as it streamed through the windows. It was a beautiful day in spring, as Thranduil walked in to see his beautiful wife, walking back and forth, gently rocking their newborn son. As he walked closer, he could hear her humming,

 _I hope you dance..._

The words he knew well, as he walked towards his lovely wife. She stopped to look at him as he stood beside her, humming the same tone to their son. After a minute of watching his son sleep, he looked up to her shining face.

She was always beautiful to him with her long raven colored hair that seemed to glow with sunlight and forest green eyes that twinkled with joy. Looking into her face, he saw mirth there. He gave her a questioning look as he followed her to the crib by the bed.

When she had set the child down to rest, she turned to him with a laugh. Thranduil watched as she started to dance around him, he knew why she was so happy. They had finally had an heir. She had wanted a child and now she had one, she was overjoyed.

As she gracefully danced across the floor, she grabbed his hand. Her joy was infectious as they danced happily around the floor. Their steps fell into a familiar dance, as they whirled around. They were grinning as their dance ended and Thranduil kissed her softly.

"You were never much of a dancer." she told him with a laugh.

"Not until I met you." He replied with a smile."Melin tirië hendutya sílalë yá lalat" he told her. She only laughed softy in response as she tip toed back _over to the crib…_

A smile spread across his fair face as memories of happy times came to his mind. But slowly the smile fell into a sad one as his mind wondered to sadder times. _Too the last time they danced..._

"I wish you won't go, meleth-nín." He had told his wife the morning she was due to leave on a journey.

"Oh come now, Thranduil. I have made this trip many times, nothing will happen to me, love." She responded lovingly, as she wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace. He felt her soft hair brush against his face, as he returned the embrace.

"My heart is still troubled at your leaving." He told her sadly. She looked into his pale eyes as she pulled away from the embrace and saw the worry that was there.

"Come, meleth-nín, You're worry, worries me." She said as she grabbed his hand. Thranduil let himself be pulled into the slow waltz. Seeing her heart torn between him and this journey he said,

"Oh, never mind, Ladis. Go, you have been wanting to do this for a while know. I worry too much." He said putting on a smile that felt fake compared to the ache in his heart.

"Are you sure you can't come?" She asked again.

"Nay, I'm sorry, Ladis, there are things I must attend too." He replied sadly. They fell into silence, as their feet stepped lightly across the stone floor. She laid her head of his shoulder, listening to the strong heart that beat there.

Thranduil let his wife lean on him, as there slow dance continued. Slower and slower the dance came until it completely stopped and the pair just stood the halls of their home _holding each other in the soft light of the rising sun…_

A lone tear fell down his face, as the wounds in his heart he had thought had healed a long time ago, were ripped open again the last time he had seen his wife happy and whole. _That was there last dance... The last dance before... At the thought painful memories came rushing back..._

He had ripped through the enemies of the stronghold, cutting and slashing as he went. He had heard the screams, nothing could stop him from reaching his wife. Everything was a blur as he fought, and he ignored the pain of every wound he received as a price to reach his wife.

" _Thranduil!_ " He heard the pain filled, desperate cry as he cut down the orcs. When he had finally reached the room his wife was being held in, he cut down every vile creature that dared to come close.

Time stood still as one orc, the one orc he was too far away from to stop, plunged an orcish blade into his wife's heart. It was as if the orc had stabbed him, his heart bled with pain as he saw his wife, his life, his love fall into a puddle of her own blood.

With an anguished cry he ripped through the last remaining orcs. Grabbing his wife's killer by its gross orcish throat, he stared into its monstrous eyes as he squeezed the life from its hideous body. Thranduil felt a small twinge of pleasure as he saw fear creep into its orcish face.

With a quick flick of his wrist, he quickly finished the vile animal. As soon as the orc hit the blood stained floor, Thranduil rushed to his wife's side. Seeing that she shivered, he slid his arms under her shoulders and with gentleness that rivaled his treatment of the orc, pulled her into his lap to offer as much warmth and comfort as he could.

"You came for m-" she stopped short as a new wave of pain hit her. Thranduil felt his heart break again as she gasped for breath. He fought back the tears at his wife's words,

"Aya, meleth-nín, you know I will always come," he said as a lump rose in his throat. He grasped her hand as she tensed up in pain,

"Thranduil, pr-promise m- me." She choked out.

"Shh shh save your strength. Everything will be okay." He told her with a smile that felt fake.

"Promise me y-you will t-take care of our-our son." Ladis said shakily, after moment Thranduil mutely nodded his head as tears fell down his face.

"Do not go where i cannot follow..." He begged, his voice thick with sorrow.

"I-I will always be w-with you, m-meleth-nín," she told him with a weak smile. Slowly reaching up she caressed his cheek. Gently grabbing her hand Thranduil kissed it softly.

"Le melin..." She told him one last time, before her hand went limp, and Thranduil knew she was gone

"Guren níniatha n'i lû n'i a-govenitham…" His voice faded away as he hung his head. She was gone, Ladis was gone, _his_ Ladis was gone. With a small cry of utter pain and sorrow, Thranduil let the tears come as he felt his heart break in such a way he knew it would never be healed, _no never be healed again..._

Thranduil felt a solitary tear fall down his face. The king felt guilt rise as a lump in his throat, if only he had gone with his wife... Why couldn't his work have waited? If he had gone with her maybe she would still be here and alive. He had been right. This scar that lingered on his heart had not left sense that horrible day, the day he had lost his love...

Although through all this pain he hadn't been all the way right. There was one thing, one person that helped...

A small smile graced Thranduil's lips as he heard the familiar footsteps. _Legolas..._ Thranduil's smile grew when he saw his son.

"Mae G'ovannen, Adar." Legolas said, after a little bow he made his way up the steps to Thranduil's throne.

"Mae G'ovannen, ion-nin." The king replied, arms wide to embrace his son. Legolas tiredly fell into his father's comforting embrace.

"You're returning home safe gladdens my heart." As Thranduil said this Legolas could tell his father had been upset.

"Come, Adar, will you eat a late dinner with me?" The prince asked in an attempt to cheer up his father.

"Aye, Legolas, I would love to join you, but only after you change out of these wet clothes." Thranduil said with a loving smile. Legolas laughed as he and his father slowly walked out of the lonely throne room. Leaving the empty room and the mournful memories behind, Thranduil felt the guilt that weighed so heavily on his shoulders lift as he and his son walked down the halls of stone.

 _End_

 **Authors note:**

Aww well at least Thranduil has Legolas right? we are thinking about doing a second part to this. so ya'll tell me in the reviews if you want second part. Aranel's story is coming along its just we are super busy. and as always reviews are very welcomed! have a great day! Lim out


	2. A Sea Apart and Yet Soon We Will Dance

**Hello again! *waves as she dismounts her horse* Sorry this took awhile but life has gotten really busy with school and while we were on a bike ride our mom fell on off of her bike and got really banged up! she broke her elbow and sprained her wrist. :( This is the last part of One Last Dance. I'm going to write another story and Aranel has her first story coming up if we can just get the time to write! So ya'll might want to be on the look out for that! :D this is a Limwen story...(did i already say that? :P LOL ) I'm going to do a oneshot/squeal about Penneth (or Celebdin) so i hope ya'll will like that when it comes out. :) we are also are trying to get a kitten so I'm really excited about that. :) thank you to all you wonderful readers who are so nice! thank you to all who Favorited and reviewed! I would love to know what ya'll think about this chapter! enjoy! :)**

A Sea Apart and Yet Soon We will Dance

 _"Do not go where i cannot follow..."_ The words rung in her ears as she started to feel cold. A lonely tear fell down her face as she heard her husband's voice full of morning and pain. _But I'm not ready... I have so much to live for,_ she thought. As she lay dying, her mind wondered to her Legolas... Her beautiful little boy... She remembered the first time she heard his cry. How she wanted to hear that cry right now. She remembered the first time she held her son. A little perfect child, wrapped in white linen. He was her light, one of the only things that kept her going in this horrible place _, but now_? Now she would never hear that child-like cry, _and never hold her beautiful son again..._

-ooOoo-

The sea was beautiful. Ladis sat and watched as the rising sun far in the horizon gave the waves a glassy appearance. The beauty of the scene before her would cause any passerby to stop and watch the sun as it started its skyward journey. It had been many years since that horrible day. The day she had lost everything… her husband, her son and even her own life. Although, many years had passed, she never lost hope that one day she would see them again, sailing through the bright dawn and into the white cove.

Now here she sat, in the same place on the beach, on the same bench she had come to every day for an age and now at the beginning of a new age he was finally coming home. She remembered when her son had come. _Yes, Legolas had sailed onto the beach with a dwarf, Gimil was his name..._

 _She felt the warm breeze of Aman brush against her skin as the dawn turned a deep and beautiful shade of orange._ The dream felt so real, when she opened her eyes and looked around the pearl colored beach. As her eyes traced across the horizon she saw, not far from shore, was an elven ship sailing into the harbor.

With its bright sails and pale wood hull it pulled onto the beach as of on its own. Ladis walked closer as the elves started to get off the boat. She stopped swiftly when she saw a tall young elf climb up and step out of the boat. He landed with a soft splash in kneel high sea water.

 _Could it be?_ She thought. At first she thought this elf was Thranduil, but when he turned the spell broke, he wasn't her Thranduil. She stood there still staring at this young elf, who looked remarkably like her husband. She watched as the young elf looked around in wonder at the white shores. Then his eyes came to land on her, noticing her for the first time. _In that moment, she understood why this elf looked so much like her husband..._

 _"It's not fair that he looks so much like you, love, when i did all the hard work" she had said to her husband jokingly._

 _"Well, my love, then you my name him." He had told her, with his voice full of love. After a second she turned back to her beautiful child. As he lay in her arms, cooing softly, she pushed back the blanket to see the little tuft of blond hair on his head._

 _"Hmm," she hummed, turning to the window and seeing the first leaves of spring, so new and bright..._

" _His name will be Legolas,_ _my little leaf..._ "

 _She remembered that day so clearly,_ and now when this elf looked at her, she knew, she knew this was her son.

" _Legolas…"_ she breathed, as she started forward. Once she stood before him, Ladis wrapped her arms around her son.

"Legolas, _my leaf_." She said again a little louder.

" _Mother."_ She heard him say softly, as she pulled away she looked into her sons bright eyes and putting one hand on his heart she said,

"You're heart beats as strong as your fathers."

"How did you know?" Legolas asked.

"A mother never forgets ion-nin."

She remembered his smile when she had said this, before he turned back towards the boat as they heard a splash and loud grumbling. Ladis raised a graceful eyebrow, as a large red and white haired dwarf came ambling out of the water. Seeing his mother's questioning look Legolas gently grabbed her hand and guided her farther down the beach towards the dwarf.

" _Mother I want you to meet someone," he had said turning to the dwarf…_

 _The gentle lapping of the waves on the shore reached her ears as she came back to the present moment_. She had finally come to know her son and while she hadn't had the joy of watching him grow up into the fine young elf he was now, to her it was as if they had known each other all their lives. _A mother never forgets…_ that was what she had said to him that day and, yes, she had not forgotten. No she would never be able to forget her son, the way his eyes twinkled when he laughed…

Ladis opened her eyes as she was drawn out of her reminiscing by a familiar sound. It was a conch shell horn. The conch horn was blown to let the elves know someone was approaching the white shores. Standing, she looked to the horizon for the ship that the sound had come from. Her eyes finding the ship she walked father down the shore, a hopeful feeling growing in her heart.

She stood motionless as the ship drew nearer to the shore. Ladis saw a tall fair haired elf hop lightly of the boat, his eyes never leaving her as he landed in waist deep water. For a moment their eyes met and in that lone look she knew. She knew this was Thranduil, her love.

Quickly they rushed towards each other, Ladis not caring that now her dress was soaked. As they met, she threw her arms around him. All her heartache melting away as she embraced him, then suddenly Thranduil, with a merry laugh, lifted her in the air and twirled around. Whisking her around, their eyes met again. He was her Thranduil, a little more sadness in his eyes, but nevertheless he was still was her knight in shining armor.

Setting her down, their eyes never leaving each other, he said,

"My heart is overjoyed to see you again, my love."

She smiled as she looked into his eyes...So pale blue they seemed to spark with fire. They told a story, they told of grief and worry, of the good times and the bad, they told he had seen too much, things that haunted him in his nightmarish dreams.

But suddenly all that disappeared as he gave a merry laugh. Nothing else mattered as they walked out of the water onto the shore, clasping hands as the sun started to sink below the horizon. An elven couple silhouetted against a crimson sky as they fell into a graceful dance. The beach seemed empty as the two danced in the failing light, never to be separated again. The world was here, on this solitary beach.

 _~End~_

 ** _Authors Note:_**

 ** _So thats it! they live happily ever after. :) I hope to see ya'll later! as always reviews are greatly appreciated! Have a great day! Lim out! :)_**


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